Moderating Effects of Business Proximity to Infrastructure on the Relationship between the Provision of Informal Hospitality Services and the Socioeconomic Well-Being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ijbs.2873Keywords:
I31-Socio-Economic Well-Being, L26-Women Entrepreneurship, O18-Business proximity to InfrastructureAbstract
Purpose: The provision of informal hospitality services is considered an income diversification strategy that benefits women's socioeconomic well-being, with business proximity to infrastructure thought to influence this relationship. Nevertheless, evidence from extant literature points to the inadequacy of this information. This study investigated the effect of business proximity to infrastructure on the relationship between informal hospitality services and the socioeconomic well-being of Kenyan women entrepreneurs.
Materials and Methods: The study employed a mixed methods approach and a sequential exploratory research design. The survey targeted 829 women entrepreneurs from four counties: Muranga, Kusumu, Kakamega, and Nakuru. In the qualitative phase, eight discussants for interviews and eight FGD participants (2 from each county) were purposively selected. During the quantitative phase, 272 randomly selected participants were given self-administered questionnaires. Framework analysis and regression analysis were used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.
Findings: Both qualitative and quantitative findings suggested that women entrepreneurs provided outside catering and event management services. The qualitative findings also revealed that women attained increased income, improved health and accessed education. Business proximity to infrastructure was found to moderate the association between informal hospitality services and socioeconomic well-being, with an R2 change of.053.
Unique contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Opportunity-Based Entrepreneurship Theory informed this study and is applicable to hospitality services, which evolve in response to societal needs. This transition needs a more coordinated approach to hospitality service provision, which women may readily organise through their enterprises. They capitalised on the transformation and their ability to organise rapidly by investing in hospitality services to profit and boost their socioeconomic well-being. This study provided information for policy creation for SMEs and infrastructure development activities to enhance the hospitality industry's performance. The study also provided scholars with information on women-led informal hospitality services
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